Tuesday, October 31, 2017

ELASTIC GARAGE at UTSA's ArtSpace

     This is one of the most personal exhibits I've made, with all the bittersweet references to childhood. I came rarely to see the installation, and wait till the last moment to film it, which I'm doing only the last few days of its existence. Because this is such a strong part of my past which is gone and which I miss so much, it was hard to bring myself to revisit the space. And now I have regrets.

Entrance to the exhibit


     I just finished the film this Halloween night, and it is now posted on vimeo:
     Click to see the film here.

   Description of the exhibit:

     “The Elastic Garage”
     Shown at ArtSpace, UTSA, University of Texas at San Antonio
     August - October, 2017. Opening: Aug 24 at 1 pm SLT.    

     Sometimes magic is elusive. In the dark, in a large crowded storage space with one hanging light bulb: the realm of shadows and highlights, everything is sculpted of wonder. A broken down car dreams of the morning sky. An old-fashioned white porcelain bathtub with rusted scars, broken furniture, a collection of rocks in little cloth bags hanging from a beam, yellowing slides and photos from the old days stowed in a corroded file cabinet where I saw my father naked -for the first time- in a fishing trip photo, a film of a long ago vacation when everyone was much younger than I suspected they ever could be, slides telling the story of how the Earth came to be, tools, ancient electronics, the air tempered with repeated phrases of Prokofiev that my mother is practicing on the piano in the distant living room, paints, a broken English screen with peopled scenes on it, the multi-colored bicycle my father painted for me, account for some of the treasures. All of these things are at my service in the secret hours when no one sees me enter here. When the garage door is open during the day, the whole space is deceptively flooded by light, but it still harbors reckless shadows ready to trip me at any moment. The dark spaces are dangerous with plentiful sharp objects and ideal nesting for waiting spiders. I am not supposed to be in this cavern of Ali Baba. Sweet and sour odors accompany the light from the luscious garden just steps away, under my feet.

     This was the garage of my childhood, where my visits were frequent in search of all manner of treasures to furnish the little cities I was building in the garden. Whatever I built from the material felt real, and authentic. The face I cut out of the decomposing, antique screen was, for me, the Mona Lisa. A city of twigs, broken brick and mud domes dripping with poster paint design was the passport to the most exciting places in the world. Contrast has its destined way of entering a child’s world. As my life began to crumble and change faster than anything or anyone could repair it, when daylight shared its chilled light with midnight, the garden and the resources of the garage remained, and refused to diminish their yield.

     Decades pass. I still carry the garage with me. Sometimes its size is elusive.
    
     My friend Lilia Artis gave me very valuable feedback as I was working on this exhibit. I have much to thank her for, and to the curator, constructivIST Solo for having so generously invited me to exhibit, and for tolerating my every question with a smile.
    
     Haveit Neox

     Aug 22, 2017






XXX

Friday, October 20, 2017

EXPANDED RAILWAY >>> Trans-sim Service






     While I was away during the month of September in exciting real life destinations, one of the things I love seeing are signs on the streets. Train station signs are particularly appealing as the vehicle slows down and the lettering announces where you are. So I decided to make a bunch of signs for ACC Alpha on arriving home in October, and expand the number of stations. There are presently three lines: Line 1 which services the city of Accentaury much like a metro rail. Line 2 which travels the distance to the neighboring sim of Sparquerry, and Line 3 which connects the lose end of Line 1 with the other lines, all three converging at the Museum which is a terminal. The nice thing about the setup is the dual function: a mode of transportation for commuters, as well as a relaxing way to tour the sims. There are little surprises along the way, such as an underwater dip in Accentaury, and the tall waves of golden wheat brushing past your face at Sparquerry, which is a far more rural setting than the urban nature of Accentaury.

     Each vehicle rezzed has seating for two, so it's an ideal way to tour the sim with a friend. Since you don't have to do any guiding of the vehicle, your hands are free to type away in conversation. You can ride indefinitely - at the end of each line the car stops for a second or two, and if you remain seated, it simply reverses direction and is on its way again until you stop it or stand up. Stopping and starting the car is as easy as toggling off or on with a click anywhere on the vehicle itself. See previous post for more info on this.

     Last night while working at the Museum train terminal and testing the tracks, I was delighted to see a visitor well ahead stopped on the tracks looking around. Soon afterwards, he was on his way deep into Sparquerry. This showed me that visitors can figure out the system. The creator of the SL Rail really made this user friendly. The scripting gives a smooth ride. I've been craving a well functioning ground transportation system for ACC Alpha since 2010, and now finally, it's here.





XXX

Saturday, July 15, 2017

SL RAIL transportation system comes to Accentaury

Riding atop the Trestle Lock overlooking the bay and Paper Tower Court


     For the past two days, I’ve been setting up a transportation system in the city of Accentaury. There used to be a tram there years ago, but it didn’t work properly. In fact, the trestle that expands over the bay is the only remaining artifact from that extensive system from 2010. I kept a couple pieces of the original track intact for history sake, but as of this week, the trestle fulfills its original function once again.  I found the SL Rail this week while exploring a pet cemetery. That sim was fascinating, and after viewing headstones people left in memory of their beloved pets, I saw the train tracks on the edges of the sim. After a very pleasant ride, the next step was to find the vendor! The quality is quite smooth and user friendly.

     As of this writing, there are 6 stops that compose the route in Accentaury. You can catch a vehicle at any of the stops, and click on the appropriate board for the direction in which you wish to travel. I placed a red arrow pointing the way above each vehicle generator so the visitor knows which to click to rezz the car in the desired direction. Once onboard, simply left click the vehicle and you’re off. The scripting is excellent, so anywhere along the way, you can click the car again and it will stop. Another click and you start again. Once you stand, the vehicle instantly disappears.

The four stops between the ends of the line each have two ride generators, which rezz
the vehicle. Left click the generator which has the arrow showing the direction you
wish to travel. 

I clicked on both generators for this photo so you can see how the vehicles rezz
in the direction of the red arrows. The unused vehicle here vanished in one minute
because no one was sitting in it. You can start and stop your car at any time by
clicking anywhere on the vehicle. Toggle it on and off as often as you want. Once
you stand, it will disappear instantly.





THE ROUTE:
Currently the six stops are:

1. Trestle Lock (overlooking Paper Tower Court)
2. Plateau of Man Park
3. North Shore (shopping and an entrance to the Library of Darkrodin)
4. Museum and Maze Gardens
5. Sunken Gallery at the Museum (bring a snorkel)
6. Darkrodin Pier (Paper Village)








XXX

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

BLEEDING BOOKS

     My new exhibit, "Bleeding Books" is showing from March 4 - April 30, 2017 at Split Screen Installation Space. My deep appreciation to the curator, Dividni Shostakovich for having invited me to install an exhibit at Split Screen.

Taxi to the landing spot: CLICK HERE

The exhibit starts in the sky, then sinks to the land level seen in the photo above.


About the build:

‘Bleeding Books’ begins in the sky, and drops to the large fortress at ground level. It is a story in my ongoing series on abuse as seen through the lens of language. What happens when knowledge is so disrespected that it is freely contaminated with doses of falsehood? There are avenues to properly sort facts in this information age, yet we easily turn a blind eye to certain evidence if it goes counter to our beliefs – even when our choices may cause immeasurable harm. In the exhibit, the texts of books bleed falling letters of the alphabet, for they can no longer contain any structure of value.  




http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Amra/57/128/130







XXX

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

CARAVAN INN

Lobby, with entry to room 201 in forground.

Aerial view of the Caravan Inn, with some nearby amenities.
A pool was added to room 200.  Pass your mouse over the rim of the pool
and you will see your cursor switch to the chair icon in several places
and even on the lion fountain ledge, where you can click
to sit - or wade in this case.



     Gardens are nice, museums and galleries are nice, and restaurants are nice to park your avatar during a visit, but what if you want to feel at home at Accentaury? A couple days ago, remodeling of the building at Alphabet Wash Fountain began, converting it into a hotel. Here, you can kick back and relax in the comforts of home. There is a fully functional bathroom, a bed, and seating. Artwork on the walls are very fine works by SL artists. Each room has a unique view onto the Caravan Terminus neighborhood. Room 200 has an additional panoramic view onto the museum way below the cliff. Though the architecture of the buildings and the furnishings are similar, the feel and layout of each room differ greatly. Try them out for your best fit. No reservations necessary. If a room is not being occupied, it's yours, but don't hold your breath waiting for room service. The lobby joins rooms 201 and 202, but room 200 is off on its own. The Menagerie Court Restaurant, Cake Thieves Patisserie, and Dog Wears A Bib Cafe are in the immediate vicinity.

ROOM 200





ROOM 201





ROOM 202



There's lots of spray coming off the waterfall fountain at Alphabet Wash. You will see an umbrella provided in rooms 201 and 202. Enjoy your stay!









XXX

Monday, February 6, 2017

Building and decorating frenzies.

Darkrodin's Sketchbook, sometimes called the Paper Village, finds its habitable spaces.


     For the past couple months, I have been remodeling several areas in the city of Accentaury. Some are mentioned in previous posts, but more recently, due to a suggestion by Lilia Artis, I am addressing the quarter called Darkrodin’s Sketchbook. There had been only a couple furnished houses in this cluster of charcoal sketch facades, the remainder of the buildings were simple hollowed cubes with textures inside and out, but not habitable spaces. That is different now. Most of the structures are finally accessible. Both Lilia and I are shopping like mad to furnish the new spaces. She brilliantly decorated the Parrot Troubadour Café and the Gemusy Market.

Lilia and I sit in a small corner of the Parrot Troubadour Cafe, between two
cat pastels made by Silas Merlin.

The Parrot Troubadour Cafe, furnished by Lilia Artis

Another view in the Parrot Troubadour Cafe.

Gemusy Market. This old square is refreshed by Lilia's choice of a vegetable
and fruit market. Her birds and cats give it a realistic charm.

Gemusy Market looks onto the distant waterfall.


Silas Merlin's works (pastels and sculpture), which are to be found in many areas of the sim, have a dedicated showcase in the newly remodeled room called the Curious Butterfly.

Silas Merlin's works can be found at the Curious Butterfly.


Lilia also furnished the Stargazer’s Sanctuary. 

The Stargazer's Sanctuary. Interior furnished by Lilia Artis.



     I’ve done a major remodel to the interior of the Library of Darkrodin, removing the waterfalls, opacifying the floor, rearranging the furniture, etc. Lilia will set up the little bookstand/snack area at the much enlarged opening onto North Shore. For now, I’m only posting pictures of the finished areas. There is more to come as spaces are filled. Make sure to have your sounds enabled when you visit the Parrot Troubadour Café, as Lilia has endowed the comfortable space with a number of parrots chirping pleasantly adding to the enchanting atmosphere she created.






XXX

Sunday, February 5, 2017

The Haul

Today is the opening of my exhibit "The Haul" at the MetaLES sim. Below, is the flyer with information about it. Please note that I also give a tour of the installation in the film on vimeo.

Poster created by Ux Hax


THE HAUL
by Haveit Neox
@ MetaLES ..O..
February 5 to March 31, 2017

Hauling, on land and in the sea.
Exploring limits and bypassing any respect for them, while stringing our catch into a growing story.

I am very grateful to the generosity of Metales for having invited me.

There is a film tour of the installation on vimeo which you can watch here:
Film: THE HAUL 


Additional information about my works:
Haveit Neox, 3D installation artist, and creator of indigenous centaur architecture on the sims ACC Alpha, and Sparquerry.



ACC Alpha sim. Please click to visit the Visitor Center





XXX

Monday, January 9, 2017

CAPTAIN'S CABIN

A place where visitors can sit in comfort while conversing, or simply taking in the view.
You can also sit on the counters, and there are cupcakes for the sweet tooth.

     Recruiting a little house into an extreme remodel which enlarged it significantly, the Captain’s Cabin becomes the third corner of a usable triangle of buildings at Venice Under Glass. Earlier visitors might remember that at first, this network of canals was arranged as a set design, with only one focal building containing an interior: the Orange Gallery. The next to come was the Peace Gallery to house images of Lilia Artis’ exhibit “The Cruelty of Peace”. In order to balance the habitable space, I began work the past week on the café now called the Captain’s Cabin.

These three walls were only one hollowed out prim.

Molding was added at the floor and ceiling, and the alpha texture for walls
was removed. The pillars and arches are prims with non-alpha textures.



     The two pictures above show the progress of the build. Thank goodness for the alpha wars inherent in transparent textures. It was for this reason that I didn’t settle for the first draft of the walls. The building’s upper exterior gave precedence to the alpha glass floor above it, rendering the typical ghost effect. Though this kind of blending is often desired, in this case I felt it weakened the overall look of the building. I took a deep breath and decided to spend the extra prims necessary to construct non-alpha walls. Going from one prim to about 20 is the result. That wasn’t so painful after all thanks to the savings with convex hulling.


     To acquire an Italian look, I take inspiration from Loggias. If you notice the pillars, they are a device to call on classical architecture, and are actually photos I took of an iron building in New York. It seemed to fit the bill, though a continent away. The wide open arches on three sides allow an extraordinary amount of light to engulf the interior, and afford the opportunity for a panorama looking out. The Captain’s Cabin is one among the choice spots for a view at Accentaury, so the generous windows were essential.

The counters are arranged as an oval, to suggest the shape of a ship.



     Venice Under Glass is not a copy of its namesake in any manner. No buildings are copied from the real life city. It is simply a fantasy adaptation, yet still has the gondolas and poles to show for it. However, Venice, whether in real life or in a virtual world, is indebted to its glass. Wanting to include this aspect, I sculpted some glass pieces which are given for free to visitors when they click on them. I might make variations in the near future so anyone who wants can build up a collection. 

There was a wall of rock facing this doorway. Yesterday I removed it,
and just by chance, the view looks onto the shipwreck, which has
been a part of ACC Alpha since its early days. It was not
touched to accommodate the view, it remains steadfast.





XXX

Monday, January 2, 2017

The Peace Gallery





     The Peace Gallery is part of the Studio of Builds Museum. It is composed of ‘canals’ in an area called Venice Under Glass. Navigating the little gallery islands makes it a fun way to experience the art displays. The Peace Gallery takes its name from the recent full sim exhibit Lilia Artis build on LEA6. I took photos around her installation “The Cruelty of Peace”, placing them on the walls of this small gallery. Over the past couple days, I reworked the façade, until it reached its current melty appearance. Undoubtedly, there will still be refinements applied to the architecture over time, but the photos here show its progress. These melting walls are similar in style to the architecture right overhead on the Paper Tower Court.







     Lilia’s “Cruelty of Peace” came down on December 31, 2016. But both she and I will preserve it to the best of our abilities in a film to come out in the near future. I’ll announce the film when it is finished. 





XXX